A One Mann’s Movies review of “The Life of Chuck” (2025, 5*, 15).
Like London buses, you wait for ages for potential Films of the Year’ to come along and then two arrive at once. After “Weapons” earlier this week, “The Life of Chuck” – which couldn’t be more different – blew me away with its intriguing story. This won the “Audience Award” at the Toronto International Film Festival last year, and you can fully see why. It’s heartfelt, mystical, magical, uplifting, devastating, heart-warming and, in places, spooky as hell. I just loved it. An easy 5*s.
But as for “Weapons“, this is REALLY a film you want to try to see ‘cold’. The trailer is actually very good for this one, since it doesn’t give much of an inkling as to the rabbit hole you will be going down in the first act. But it’s another really tricky review to write without giving anything away. For this one though, I WILL be keeping it horribly vague to avoid any spoilers.
Plot:
Marty Anderson (Chiwetel Ejiofor) is going through difficult times and turns for comfort to his ex, the stressed hospital nurse Felicia Gordon (Karen Gillan). They are intrigued and bemused by multiple advertisements they see thanking Chuck (Tom Hiddleston) for “39 Glorious Years”.
Certification:
UK: 15; US: R. (From the BBFC web site: “Strong language”. In some ways, it’s a shame the brief “strong language” – funny as it was – is used in this film. I would have loved for this to be a 12A so I could take my older grandchildren along to it and have the post-watch debate.)
Talent:
Starring: Tom Hiddleston, Jacob Tremblay, Benjamin Pajak, Cody Flanagan, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Karen Gillan, Mia Sara, Carl Lumbly, Mark Hamill, David Dastmalchian, Harvey Guillén, Michael Trucco, Q’orianka Kilcher, Matthew Lillard, Rahul Kohli, Violet McGraw, Samantha Sloyan, Annalise Basso, Kate Siegel, The Pocket Queen, Trinity Jo-Li Bliss, Nick Offerman.
Directed by: Mike Flanagan.
Written by: Mike Flanagan. (Based on the short story by Stephen King.)
Running Time: 1h 51m.
Summary:
Positives:
- Deep, mysterious, mystical, wonderful – so many thoughts to unpick after seeing it.
- Wow! That first act! I was not expecting the film to start there.
- Includes not one but two wonderful dance numbers.
- Fabulous performances including, perhaps?, an Oscar nom for Mark Hamill?
Negatives:
- I could find nothing to dislike about this film. But it didn’t stop one older couple walking out of my screening after about 20 minutes so – hey – it shows you can never please all the people all the time!
Full Review of “The Life of Chuck”:
An astonishing tour de force.
Mike Flanagan last directed a film back in 2019: another Stephen King adaptation, “Doctor Sleep”. Here he manages to pull a truly innovative movie out of the bag that was, for me, reminiscent at times of the best of Spielberg. I also found resonances with “The Truman Show” and “2001: A Space Odyssey”. It also shows a certain amount of directorial confidence by Flanagan to play a completely black and silent screen for a good 10 seconds in the middle of the film!
The ‘oldest’ portion of the story had a warm and nostalgic look that reminded me strongly of “The Fabelmans“. I looked up the cinematographer half expecting to see the name Janusz Kaminski there… but no, actually it is a Brit, Eben Bolter.
Wow! What an opening!
What hit me straight out of the gate was the depth of the background story unfolding within the world of Marty (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and Felicia (Karen Gillan) – both excellent in the roles. The trailer is cunning in keeping all of the plot well hidden from view. I was IN NO WAY expecting the opening act of the film to take me where it did. I was immediately invested! Marty has a number of really interesting interactions with fellow townsfolk – his neighbour Gus (Matthew Lillard) and local undertaker Sam (Carl Lumbly) – but then after a brief interlude with a roller-skating girl (Violet McGraw from “M3gan“), the film takes a sharp-left into the Twilight Zone that is totally breath-taking.
The film is generally filled with little lose ends and mysteries: notably a staircase leading to a locked door that appears more than once in different buildings that (I infer) occupy the same physical space. (Echoes of “Here” for me.)
More chapters!
Just like “Weapons“, the film is divided into three “Acts”. Again, I didn’t object to these as I normally would since they genuinely divide up the film and, in any case, are intriguing in their own right.
There is a distinct difference between the chapters, which you might already deduce if you’ve seen the number of different actors playing Chuck! But its not a simple as that. There are moments of utter surprise – (“what are THEY doing there”?) – that made you understand that this story is way deeper than any simple interpretation could explain. In fact, it’s a film that I predict you will still be pondering on for weeks after you’ve seen it.
Some genuinely impressive choreography.
To make it crystal clear to musical-haters, this is NOT a musical. However, it does have not one, but two, standout dance sequences that are genuinely memorable, choreographed by Mandy Moore who previously worked on “La La Land“.
In one, Chuck (Tom Hiddleston, who knew he could move like that?!) shares a street-dance with the recently jilted Janice (Annalise Basso) to musical accompaniment by ‘The Pocket Queen’ (real name Taylor Gordon). Apparently, Tom Hiddleston went on a six-week intensive crash course with Moore, incorporating swing, bossa nova, mambo, cha-cha, salsa, ballroom, foxtrot and more. She makes for a really great teacher!!
In the other, a younger Chuck (Benjamin Pajak) brings the house down at a school disco when dancing with his older crush Cat (Trinity Jo-Li Bliss).
Both sequences are really terrific bits of cinema gold.
Performances that are awards-worthy.
This would strike me as a film worthy of a SAG ensemble cast nomination, since whilst many of the roles are quite small, they are all really nicely done. I really enjoyed the small roles taken by Kate Siegel as Chuck’s teacher, Miss Richards (having one of the most important pieces of dialogue in the whole film) and Samantha Sloyan as his dance instructor Miss Rohrbacher. Mia Sara is also impressive, coming out of retirement to play the key role of Chuck’s grandmother Sarah.
But of particular note is the performance of Mark Hamill as Chuck’s caregiving grandfather Albie. Whilst it feels a bit ‘Oscar baity’, Hamill does a splendid job as the mostly-kind but sometimes firm old man with a drink problem and a related secret. Hamill’s post-Star Wars career seems to have involved a lot of voiceover work and parts (like in “The Machine“) that don’t really give him much to do. Here, as Albie, he actually gets to deliver some seriously dramatic dialogue and absolutely nails it to boot. I really wouldn’t be surprised if he got a Supporting Actor nod in the Academy Awards for it.
Summary Thoughts on “The Life of Chuck”
I saw this as an Everyman cinema preview last night, with the film getting its UK release next week on August 20th (the film came out two months ago in the US). I would encourage everyone to get out and see it on the big screen when it does release. I for one cannot wait to see it again, and to show it to the Illustrious Mrs Movie Man.
Highly – highly – recommended.
Where to watch?
Trailer for “The Life of Chuck”:
The trailer is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOyXdwXt8d4.
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